Mousetrap



' the trap-door type,

Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

UNiT E -D S A T E S NAOTARO YAMASAKI AND BUNZO WATANABE, OF FRONTIER,WYOMING.

MOUSETRAP.

Application filed April 24, 1924. Serial No. 708,765.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NAOTARO YAMAsAKr and BUNzo ATANAI-m, citizens ofJapan, residing at Frontier, in the county of Lincoln and State ofWyoming, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements inMousetraps; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in traps for mice, rats and thelike, and has reference more particularly to devices of in which theprey 1s dropped into a container which preferably contains water todrown them.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivedevice of the class set forth which embodies a cover plate for areceptacle, said plate having an opening, a second plate fitting looselywithin said opening and centrally pivoted on one axis, said second platealso having an opening, and a third plate pivotally mounted within thelast mentioned opening, on an axis at an angle to the first namedpivotal axis. It is thus insured that a mouse or the like, treading inany manner upon the device, will be discharged thereby into thereceptacle below.

lVith the foregoing in .view, the invention resides in the novel subjectmatter hereinafter described and claimed, the description beingsupplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view.

Figure 2 is a vertical section.

In the preferred form of our invention, selected for illustration in thepresent application, we make use of three suit-able plates 1, 2 and 3,which may be formed of tin, aluminum, or any other light, inexpensivematerial.

The plate 1 is shown of circular form, though it could be of otheroutline, and said plate is adapted to rest upon a suitable receptacle awhich may well contain water or other liquid 5, to drown the prey. Theplate 1 is formed with a relatively large opening 6 which is preferably,although not necessarily, of circular outline, and loosely received inthis opening, is the plate 2, said plate being balanced and pivotallysupported upon a pair of pivot pins 7 which are disposed in axialalinement, said pins being connected at one end to the plate 1 and attheir other ends to the plate 2.

The plate 2 is formed with a comparatively small opening 8, within whichthe plate 3 is loosely positioned, said plate 3 being balanced andpivotally supported by pins or the like 9 which are preferably at rightangles to the pins 7, the outer ends of said pins 9 being connected withthe plate 2, while their inner ends are connected with the plate 3. Inconnecting these pins and plates, and the pins 7 with the plates 1 and2, we may well stamp pin-receiving knuckles 10 from the plates, asshown.

lVhen the device is in place on the receptacle, inclined boards or thelike 12 may rest against the latter to serve as runways, upon which themice or rats may walk, in attempting to reach the bait in the holder 11.If they tread upon the plate 2, out of line with the pivot pins 7 thisplate will im mediately tilt and discharge them into the receptacle 4,and if they should attempt to jump and free themselves when falling, andshould gain a foot-hold upon the plate 3, the latter will tilt, so thatthey cannot by any chance reach safety. Furthermore, if a mouse or thelike should walk across the plate 2, in line with the pivot-s 7, themoment he steps upon the plate 3, he would be caused to fall into thereceptacle 4.

As excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, theymay well be followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed,changes may be made.

lVe claim:

A trapping device adapted to form a cover for a receptacle, said devicecomprising a flat supporting plate adapted to be supported by thereceptacle, said plate hav-v ing an opening, a flat trap plate disposedwithin said opening and pivoted between its ends to said supportingplate to swing freely in either direction, said trap plate having anopening, and a second fiat trap plate disposed within the second namedopening and pivoted between its ends to said first the second. trapplate will be dropped trap plate to freely swing in either directhroughone or the other of said openings. tion, the pivot of said second trapplate In testimony whereof we have hereunto 10 being disposed at rightangles to the pivot affixed our signatures.

'" of said first trap plate, whereby a mouse or the like attempting toWalk across the de- NAOTARO YAMASAKI. vice in any direction toward thecenter of BUNZQ lVATAJNABE.

